Ground Beef Helper Mix

2 cups nonfat dry instant milk [224 g]
1 cup corn starch [140 g]
¼ cup unsalted chicken or beef bouillon powder
2 tbsp onion flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp garlic powder

Mix the ingredients together and either present all in quart jar or divide into pint jars. Seal and decorate as desired. Attach one or more of the following recipes.

Attach to Jar: Chili Tomato Mac Brown one pound ground beef or turkey and drain off the fat. Add one cup water, one and one-half cups of uncooked macaroni, two 15-oz cans chopped tomatoes, one tbsp chili powder and one-half cup of the "Helper" mix. Simmer covered 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender.

Ground Beef Stroganoff Brown one pound ground beef or turkey and drain off the fat. Add 2 cups water, one-half cup "Helper" mix and two cups uncooked egg noodles and stir. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes or until noodles are tender. Top with one-half cup "light" sour cream or plain yogurt. Serve immediately.

Hearty Potato Casserole Brown one pound ground beef or turkey and drain off the fat. Add three-fourth cup water, six peeled potatoes (sliced very thin), one cup of frozen mixed peas and carrots and one-half cup plus 1 tbsp seasoning mix. Simmer covered 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir, uncover and cook until excess water is evaporated.

Skillet Lasagna In a large skillet, brown one pound of lean ground beef, crumble. Drain off the fat and add: one-half cup of the Homemade Ground Beef Helper Mix, one chopped onion, two cups water, 16 ounces of tomato sauce, three cups dry noodles and one-fourth cup Parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring until thickened. Top with two cups of mozzarella cheese five minutes before serving; turn off heat, stop stirring and allow cheese to melt.